Within the prior art there exists a disposable package or container for storing and discharging a small unit of chemical solutions. U.S. Pat. No. 3,221,939 by Brown describes such a device used for storing and dispensing small quantities of liquids. Another example of a container for storing and discharging a solution is found in U.S. Pat. No. 5,105,993 wherein a disposable container for dispensing sterile liquid medication is disclosed. However, to maintain the sterility of the solutions, the container of the above prior arts are made sterile. The containers are sterilized with ethylene oxide which increases the cost of packaging of an ophthalmic solution significantly.
Repeated use of the ophthalmic solution from the container of the prior art increases the probability that microbial contaminants will be introduced into the solution. Thus, serious infections can be transferred from person to person in this way. To prevent this, antimicrobial preservatives are included into the solutions with the exception of those packaged for one time use. However, an increasing number of ophthalmologists prefer to use a non-preserved solution because patients have shown an allergic reaction to the commonly used preservatives.
Nowhere within the prior art is there found a collapsible and disposable airless package for storing and dispensing solutions in the use with contact lenses.
It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a multidose flexible container, for storing and dispensing contact lens solution, which does not require air venting to function; the container collapses while the solution is being drained.
It is a further object of this invention to provide a multidose disposable container that is capable to reduce waste volume, as opposed to conventional rigid containers, for storing and dispensing solutions in the use with contact lenses.
It is a further object of this invention to provide a flexible container, for storing and dispensing solutions in the use with contact lenses, which may not require the use of preservatives.
Further and other objects of the invention will become apparent to the man skilled in the art when considering the following summary of the invention and the more detail description of the preferred embodiments illustrated herein.